Photos For the love of Lockbacks! (Traditionals only)

My latest Lockback all cleaned up. USA made LB7

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I just got this Imperial backpacker in today, it's just been flushed oiled and sharpened.
I believe like the ranger series these were manufactured by Camillus.



I really like the slim trailing point blade, and it's a nice size at 4" closed.
I like the rosewood too, I probably wouldn't mind one with brass bolsters like they made for Imperial and sears / Craftsman.
 
DelOro said:
This is one of my two lockback GEC #83 knives. ;)

Easy to open, but pure hell (for me) to close! :mad:

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It sure is a pretty one. :thumbsup: For what it's worth - I don't know if GEC offers reconditioning - but I had a very nice old Case lockback that, like yours, was a bear to close. The pressure required to release the lock was more than my thumb could comfortably muster. I sent it to Case - explained the issue - and within 3 weeks I had it back, working beautifully. Hope you can get your GEC tuned up. Too bad to have a great knife be under appreciated because of a likely, easy to fix, mechanical issue.

Good luck.

Ray
 
RayseM said:
It sure is a pretty one. :thumbsup: For what it's worth - I don't know if GEC offers reconditioning - but I had a very nice old Case lockback that, like yours, was a bear to close. The pressure required to release the lock was more than my thumb could comfortably muster. I sent it to Case - explained the issue - and within 3 weeks I had it back, working beautifully. Hope you can get your GEC tuned up. Too bad to have a great knife be under appreciated because of a likely, easy to fix, mechanical issue.

Good luck.

Ray
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Thanks Ray :)

It's not the knife, it's my old arthritic hands.

It's nice to look at though. :D
 
Fodderwing said:
Del do you have any blade play at all in that knife?
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Nope, not a bit of play in either.

The clip is VERY stiff and the drop not quite as bad.

Great knives, just difficult for me to close at times.

Plus, I certainly don't want to drop one! ;)
 
DelOro said:
Nope, not a bit of play in either.

The clip is VERY stiff and the drop not quite as bad.

Great knives, just difficult for me to close at times.

Plus, I certainly don't want to drop one!
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I asked the question because there have been so many complaints about blade play with the GEC lockbacks. I have three GEC mudbug lockbacks and they are all rock solid with zero blade play but, like your knife, the release is very hard to press down. Seems like that might be what makes them so free of blade play issues. Just a thought.
 
I don't want to open a thread for a simple question conserning lockbacks so I ask it in this thread. I have thought about getting a lockback smaller than my previous one's, blade lenght around 70 mm. My choises now (based on availability from my favourite shop) are Buck 501 Squire and Boker Junior Scout with stag handles. The boker costs almost twice what Buck does, but I just love stag covers. The Buck is lighter and slimmer, so more easily carried. Thoughts about these knives? Lock action, f&f? The steel in Boker is better, but Buck does a good job with their 420.
 
HFinn said:
I don't want to open a thread for a simple question conserning lockbacks so I ask it in this thread. I have thought about getting a lockback smaller than my previous one's, blade lenght around 70 mm. My choises now (based on availability from my favourite shop) are Buck 501 Squire and Boker Junior Scout with stag handles. The boker costs almost twice what Buck does, but I just love stag covers. The Buck is lighter and slimmer, so more easily carried. Thoughts about these knives? Lock action, f&f? The steel in Boker is better, but Buck does a good job with their 420.
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That's a difficult choice. Personally, I think I would go with the Junior Scout because of the blade steel (N690?) and I like the overall shape of the knife better than the Squire.

I've never owned a Squire but I've owned the smaller version. Can't remember the model but it's about 3 inches closed. The Knight perhaps. The action was a little tight but nothing that I would consider a flaw. Solid lockup.

I've never owned a Junior Scout either but I do own two of the Boy Scouts. The action on both of them is exceptional. Very smooth with a light pull as one might expect from a lockback. Solid lockup. The lock disengages with just the right amount of pressure. They also have a slight bulge in the handle that tapers down to the bolsters on each end which makes them feel really nice in the hand. They are a real pleasure to use.

The Boker would be my choice but the Buck has a lot going for it too.
 
Railsplitter said:
That's a difficult choice. Personally, I think I would go with the Junior Scout because of the blade steel (N690?) and I like the overall shape of the knife better than the Squire.

I've never owned a Squire but I've owned the smaller version. Can't remember the model but it's about 3 inches closed. The Knight perhaps. The action was a little tight but nothing that I would consider a flaw. Solid lockup.

I've never owned a Junior Scout either but I do own two of the Boy Scouts. The action on both of them is exceptional. Very smooth with a light pull as one might expect from a lockback. Solid lockup. The lock disengages with just the right amount of pressure. They also have a slight bulge in the handle that tapers down to the bolsters on each end which makes them feel really nice in the hand. They are a real pleasure to use.

The Boker would be my choice but the Buck has a lot going for it too.
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Thank's. If I buy a knife these days I have to really like it, so the junior scout is a good choise. I will order it and display here what I get.
 
I love all the great knives on this thread! Here’s a humble contribution from the Norrhland.

Ryuichi Kawamura stag lockback on beaver tails from last year’s trapping season, just received from the tanner. Spring breakup and our annual “trapping and tapping” trip are just around the corner.

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dcpritch said:
I love all the great knives on this thread! Here’s a humble contribution from the Norrhland.

Ryuichi Kawamura stag lockback on beaver tails from last year’s trapping season, just received from the tanner. Spring breakup and our annual “trapping and tapping” trip are just around the corner.

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Gorgeous ! What a treat to see. Pics of the trip ;)
 
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